Leaders of several Windham County towns agreed on Friday to pay to renovate a building in Brooklyn to house the regional probate court, which is now operating out of Thompson Town Hall.

The Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments voted to spend $8,000 to reconfigure the Clifford B. Green Community Center on South Main Street. They held off on finalizing a decision on rent until a lease agreement is brought forward.

Brooklyn First Selectman Austin Tanner said it will take up to four months to renovate the Brooklyn facility to meet the Northeast Probate Court’s needs. A modified plan presented to the council shows four offices for the court. The renovations would involve adding doors and lock sets to the existing floor plan, and installing a kitchen on one end of the 1,568-square-foot space.

“This plan includes moving the recreation department out of the building and into (the Tiffany Street Community Center),” Tanner said. “We’re looking for a long-term lease of between 10 and 15 years, with rent of $750 a month.”

The court district serves Brooklyn, Ashford, Eastford, Pomfret, Putnam, Woodstock and Thompson. It has operated out of Thompson Town Hall since the state began a regional court system in January 2011, but Judge Leah Schad has complained the location is not private enough. Schad said Friday she was pleased with the recent momentum concerning the court’s move.

“We’re very grateful to have the ability to give our clients privacy and confidentiality during their visits,” Schad said. “This gives us closed off rooms where lawyers can talk to their clients, instead of having those conversations going on in a waiting room.”

The move from Thompson will also mean towns will begin paying rent for court space. Thompson has allowed the court to operate for free in its town hall. Thompson First Selectman Larry Groh Jr. — the only council member to vote against funding the renovations — said it doesn’t make fiscal sense to add another expense.

“It’s a matter of paying more rent than we are now,” he said.

As part of the agreement, Thompson will be exempt from paying any of the Brooklyn renovation costs.